Dental articulators used in the production of denture prosthesis



July 11, 967Y F BRANDHANDLER ETAL '3,330,039

DENTAL UCTION V ATICULATORS USED IN THE PROD 0F DENTURE PHOSTHES I S Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1964 Juy l1, 1967 F. BRANDHANDLER ETAL. 3,330,039

DENTAL ARTICULATORS USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF DENTURE PROSTHESIS Filed DBC. 28, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,330,039 DENTAL ARTICULATORS USED IN THE PRODUC- TIN OF DENTURE PROSTHESIS Filip Brandhandler, 4933 N. Drake Ave., Chicago, Ill.

60625, and Stanley L. Steiner, P.O. Box 548, Highland Park, Ill. 60035 Filed Dec. 28, 1964, Ser. No. 421,535 1 Claim. (Cl. 32-32) This invention relates to an anatomical crown and bridge dental articulator.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of a dental articulator which may be employed in cases where there are remaining natural teeth to serve as guide means.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a dental articulator which is designed to follow the inclination of the natural dentition so that the bridge which is being constructed will contact opposite teeth when eccentric bites occur.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an articulator in which models of the jaws may be mounted and subjected to movements that are more truly representative of the human jaw.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of an articulator having hinge joints which may be adjusted independently of one another for relative lateral movement of the upper and lower bow members.

Still a further object of the present invention is the provision of an articulator having bow members which are separable but which are so constructed as to prevent inadvertent separation. Y

Still a further object of this invention is the provision of an articulator of the foregoing character which is simple in construction, eicient in operation and economical to manufacture.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description when the same is considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational View of a dental articulator in accordance with my invention.

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a top plan View thereof.

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on lines 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken substantially on line 5 5 of FIG. 1, and showing the parts in one position of adjustment.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on line 6 6 of FIG. 5 and showing the parts in a different position of adjustment.

FIG. 7 is a View similar to FIG. 1 but showing the parts in the position of adjustment illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is an end elevational view taken substantially on line 8--8 of FIG. 7 and showing the parts in the position of adjustment illustrated in FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 3 and showing the parts in a position of adjustment corresponding to that illustrated in FIG. 6.

FIG. l0 is an end elevational view taken substantially on line 10-10 of FIG. 8.

Referring to the drawings, the articulator constructed in accordance with the invention comprises a lower bow member including a base portion 16 having at the rear thereof a pair of laterally spaced upright posts 17. Each post 17 is drilled at its upper end to receive a pin 18, the outer end 20 of which is of reduced diameter and carries a spherical element 19 slidable on the pin and constituting a condylar head. The pin 18 is removably aixed to the post 17 by means of a set screw 21. The base 16 is provided with a tapered aperture 22 and a removable transversely extending pin 23, aifording means for the 3,330,039 Patented July 11 1967 securement of a lower jaw model (not shown) .to the lower bow member.

Overlying the lower bow member 15 is an upper bow member 24 comprising a main body portion 26, general ly T-shaped in plan, and having at the rear thereof a pair of wings 27 and 28 extending laterally outwardly in opposite directions. Each wing 27 and 28 is provided with a depending portion 29, shaped as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4, and having an arcuate groove 31 in the lower face thereof and opening downwardly. Received in each groove is a condylar guide member 32 in Ithe form of a disk-like element which is provided with an undercut peripheral groove 33 to accommodate the head 34 of a screw member 36 which projects through an aperture in the wings 27, 28 and which cooperates with a knurled uut 37 for eecting locking of the guide member 32 in relation to a respective wing when an adjustment has been made.. The guide member 32 is provided with a slot 38 which opens outwardly and is adapted to receive the spherical element 19 which is arranged to move freely within the slot. The inner end 39 of the slot 38 (FIG. 10) Vterminates at a point such that when the spherical element 19 is in abutment with said inner end, the spherical element is concentric to the guide member 32, as illustrated in FIG. 4. A slidable arcuate retaining element 41 is received in the undercut peripheral groove 33 and is arranged to block the opening tothe slot 38 so as to prevent inadvertent separation of the parts. It will be understood, however, that the retaining element 41 may be moved so as to clear the slot 38 and permit separation of the spherical element 19 from the guide member 32.

The guide member 32 is further provided with a threaded aperture arranged as illustrated in FIG. 4 and adapted to receive an adjusting screw 42 provided with a conical head which is adapted to engage the spherical element 19 and effect movement of the same in a direction outwardly of the slot 38 for purposes of adjustment. The outer end 20 of the pin 18 is attached to one end of a resilient strip 43, the opposite end of the strip being provided with an eyelet 44 to engage a pin 46 carried on the depending portion of the wing 29. The resilient strip 43 normally tends to urge the spherical element 19 in abutment with the end wall of the slot 38, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The strip 43, however, is Vyieldable so that the upper bow member 24 may be shifted relative to the lower bow member 15, spherical element 19 being movable within the limits of the slot 38. The outer face of the guide member 32 is provided with a graduated scale, there being an arrow on the wing affording a reference point for the same.

The condylar guide members 32 may be rotated to any desired degree and xed in positions of adjustment by tightening the thumb nuts 37.

The body portion 26 of the upper bow member 24 is provided with an oppositely tapered aperture 47 in vertical registration with aperture 22 and a removable transversely extending pin 48 affords means for securing an upper jaw model (not shown) to the upper bow member 24.

An incisal pin 49 is adjustably secured to the forward end of the upper bow member 24 by a screw 51. The lower end of the pin 49 rests on an angular surface 52 of the base member 16, said surface constituting an incisal guide.

The various adjustments capable of being made with the articulator of this invention are clearly illustrated in the drawings. FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate the normal vertical alinement of the upper and lower bow members 24 and 15, respectively, with the spherical elements 19 being concentric with respective condylar guide members 32. FIGS. 6, 7 and 9 illustrate a position of adjustment in which the upper bow member 24 is disposed in parallel relation to the lower bow member 15, and in which the upper bow member is canted so that the spherical element 19 on the left-hand side of the upper bow member, as viewed in FIG. 6, is substantially in abutment with the corresponding retaining element 41. FIGS. 5 and 8 illus- -opening downwardly, a pair of laterally spaced disk-like It will be understood that each of the condylar guide members 32 may be independently adjusted and that the upper bow member may be moved in substantially all directions relative to the lower'bow member.

In use, upper and lower jaw models are secured ,to the upper and lower bow members respectively, and adjustments made to eiect proper centric relation of said models, after which the adjustments are fixed. This relati-onship is used in designing and constructing a bridge or the like and in lchecking the completed article for accuracy of t.

It Ywill be understood that various changes and modications may be made from the foregoing without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

In a dental articulator, a lower bow member, an upper bow member, means for mounting said bow members in mutually overlying relation, said means including a pair of laterally coaxially disposed pins supported on said lower bow member, each of said pins carrying a slidable spherical element, said upper bow member having a pair of laterally spaced depending portions, each portionrhaving an arcuate groove in the lower face thereof and elements, each rotatably received in a respective arcuate groove and in upright position, each of said disk-like elements having an undercut peripheral groove having a generally inverted T-shaped cross-section, a pair of threaded members carried by saidr upper bow member and each having a head slidably received in a respective groove, a nut cooperating with each threaded member for clamping said disk-like elements to said depending portions in positions of adjustment, each of said disklike elements having a slot extending inwardly from the periphery thereof, each of said spherical elements being slidably received in a respective slot with the end portion of each pin extending beyond a respective disk-like element, each of said depending portions carrying on lits outer surface a'pin disposed rearwardly of a'respective disk-like element, a tensioned resilient strip secured to each of said last mentioned pins and to respective end por-` tions of said tirst mentioned pins and tending to normally retain said spherical elements in concentric relation to said disk-like elements, and slidable locking means for preventing separation of said spherical elements from said slots.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Y Gambill 32-32 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

I. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

